About Me

Born in the late 60's, Chesy hails from a Welsh mining village with a long name and was pretty glad when he got the Hell out of there. He got into Rock/Metal in about 1980, thanks to a TISWAS related incident (Rainbow video for All Night Long) and thankfully has never looked back.
Chesy often sang solo in the school choir, but thanks to a puberty related incident his voice is now completely bolloxed, although in his own head Paul thinks he sounds like a blend of Coverdale and Dio (R.I.P).
He was brought up on the classics - Deep Purple, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy, Rush, Whitesnake and loved melodic rock and the Hair Bands of the 80's. (Nowadays, he has progressed a little and prefers a more technical and/or progressive metal - Dream Theater, Rush, Symphony X, Porcupine Tree, Pain Of Salvation, Spock's Beard. He hates Black and Death Metal (can't stand the grunting) but for some unknown reason loves the magnificent Opeth! He wont stop this blog until his beloved FM finally play the likes of the NEC as a headlining act!!!

Sunday, 27 March 2016

Most of what Serafino Perugino does is (I think) first and
foremost, as a fan of Melodic Rock, and secondly as a businessman. Occasionally
the Godfather of 21st Century melodic rock has a pearler of a
project. Well, this isn’t one of them! See I had you there….

The Defiants could very well be one of his best ideas yet.
Despite 12 years and 4 albums fronting Danger Danger, 90% of fans would likely go
for the Ted Poley fronted version over this Paul Laine period. Paul Laine
fronted the band during the AOR wilderness years (’93-’04) unfortunately. Even 80s
household names struggled in the advent of flannel, two chords and depressing
lyrics (aka Grunge)!

However, one thing Paul Laine wasn’t (and still isn’t) short
of is a great voice. Serafino’s idea to reunite these three Caballero’s (Laine
/ Ravel / Marcello) is a truly inspired one. Rounding out The Defiants is a
drummer whose work to most will be unknown, but has an impressive CV, is Van
Romaine (which translates from Dutch as ‘from lettuce’).

The album cover is Western themed (almost like a wanted
poster), and one thing is certain, The Defiants album will be ‘Wanted! Dead or Alive’ by many a fan of the melodic
rock genre. ‘Love and Bullets’ comes at you like a .44 fired out of a Winchester
and immediately appears to be one of the rock songs of 2016! It’s an aural
delight of polished melodic craft. Too many bands don’t pay attention to what
made some melodic rock bands great, but not these guys, who seem fully bought
into the Cliff Note School of ‘classic’ rock songs. It’s a fantastic way to
kick off an album and is destined for serious radio play.

‘When The Lights Go Down’ comes across like the best Lynch
Mob songs, with Laine pulling in sounds that Coverdale/Logan would love to be
making in 2016. For a bloke on the cusp of 50, he sounds amazing, and then
some! ‘Waiting On A Heartbreak’ just flows like the previous at a consistently
high level, with Paul Laine’s voice being the fifth but foremost instrument. Marchello’s
guitar complements Laine’s voice perfectly here, simply but highly effective,
with some nice soloing on the outro. ‘Runaway’ has so much of an upbeat groove
that it’s impossible not to dig out your favourite air instrument from behind
the sofa and leap around the living room in support. ‘Runaway’ is a ‘top down’, driving song for the gloomiest
of days. If this doesn’t pick you up, then nothing will. I/you can even vividly
picture a video for this song. It is more pop than rock, but when it’s done as
well as this, who cares.

‘Lil’ Miss Rock ‘n’ Roll’ is a bar-band party song that even
manages to throw in a quick ‘Naughty Naughty!’ and a few other song references
are thrown in for good measure (answers will hopefully be in the sleeve notes),
and had a certain Mr. Jon Bon performed this, it would have the US MILFS in
raptures. ‘Save Me Tonight’ is the staple diet of a ballad. I knew one had to
be on the horizon somewhere given their past history. It’s done very well, and
is devoid of the usual ‘mush’ associated with the term ‘ballad’. ‘Take Me Back’
has Bon Jovi crossed with Springsteen running through it like a stick of
Blackpool Rock (sorry rest of the world, look it up). Marcello doesn’t get much
of a chance to really show his skills, but he does on ‘All Fall Down’ and kicks
ass through the whole song. ‘That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You’ is a love song
that will have hard men sobbing into their beers, singing this to their ladies,
and is just wonderful. At seven (yes, seven) minutes, it just flies by.
Finally, go out like Butch and Sundance with your weapons cocked (oo-er! F’narr!),
and The Defiants do this with a punchy rock song ‘Underneath The Stars’, and it
repeats the formula of being another positive ‘feel-great’ song.

The Defiants debut album is a beauty to behold, and
hopefully the first of many, and not just a whim to please the Godfather. I
certainly hope not, as this needs to be a bona fide touring and performing band.

To sum it up in just 7 sentences…..The. Best. Melodic. Rock. Album. Of. 2016.

I need to live with this a little more to see if it will get
top marks. After just a day, the one man jury states it will probably get
maximum marks. The Defiants will be THE band of the Frontiers Fest next month,
I guarantee it. They don’t need to play D2 or PL songs, just this!

Saturday, 26 March 2016

There’s probably only a handful of rock
vocalists who have been more prolific than a certain Mr Turner.In over 30 years, the bloke has over 60 album
credits to his name. Whether he likes it or not, he got to the masses
prominence when he became the person the step into the Rainbow machine and
follow the huge vocal talents of Dio and Bonnet. Like home or loathe him (I
love him!), he made the biggest impression on Blackmore as he stuck around
longer than anyone else (apart from the Man In Black himself!). After Rainbow
disbanded due to the Purple reunion, a solo album was a cast iron
certainty.Where a certain Mr Bolton was
about to jack it in and become the housewives favourite and amass a oligarch
like fortune, JLT was a guy ready made to step into this FM friendly pop-rock
market for the double denim, layered haired masses of the US!

He’s best known for his Rainbow stint, a
brief dalliance with Malmsteen (on what was to be Malmsteen’s finest album) and
also Mothers Army, Sunstorm, Deep Purple (or should that be Deep Rainbow),
Hughes Turner Project as well as churning out quite a few solo albums.

The gig in question was recorded at the
Boston Paradise and the band was pretty much all the guys who recorded ‘Rescue
You’ – Chuck Burgi (Drums), Al Greenwood (Keys – he of Foreigner fame), Bobby
Messano (guitar – from Starz), and new to the line up and fresh from Pat
Travers Band, Barry Dunaway (bass). The album is an edited version of the night
and was recorded for the King Biscuit Radio Show.

Opening up the show is a demo from the ‘Rescue
You’ period that wouldn’t see the light of day officially for another 20 odd
years, the storming ‘I Found Love’. It staggers as to how this gem was missed
off the album at the time, and it’s a high tempo rocker that just fits Joe like
one of his leather gloves. As you’d expect, the set is heavily weighted to the
'Rescue You' album with 8 of the 11 songs receiving an airing here tonight.

Lets face it, this is a snapshot in time of
Joe at his finest – songs like ‘Losing You’ and ‘Rescue You’ are two of his
finest ever committed to vinyl. Unlike lots of other bands, this live album is
completely untouched, warts and all! That makes for a refreshing change indeed.
His voice is pushed a little (‘Young Hearts’), but that also makes it all the
more believable and enjoyable, especially as he is endorsing this release from
Cleopatra.

Joe throws in two of his best Rainbow
songs, ‘Stone Cold’, and ‘Street Of Dreams’ and both are faithful to the originals
apart from a lack of solo on ‘Stone Cold’. ‘Feel The Fire’ sounds as if its
been nicked right out of Michael Boltons cold, dead grasp. Messano even gets a few minutes
to ply his trade, thankfully it doesn’t contain the usual 80s staples of
separate drum, bass and keyboard solos, although there is a bass slapping solo
in the very good, funky and extended version of ‘Get Tough’ in which the band
jam like crazy and is a definite highlight of the set.

Thirty-one years on from this, and Joe has
almost become a Spinal Tap parody of himself, such as in last year's UK acoustic gigs, he summoned the spirit of David St
Hubbins (not vocally, just verbally).This aside, his recent gig at
HRH AOR proved that he still has what it takes and possesses a mighty fine set
of pipes – DESPITE not playing a single song from this tour, or Malmsteen or
anything else come to think of it. Apart from his Rainbow years, JLT and this
line up in particular NEVER, EVER sounded as good and as tight as this!

Monday, 21 March 2016

Anyone who has read most of my reviews may know that I have
more than a soft spot for a female vocalist, from Benatar to Wilson and quite a
few in between. At the recent HRH AOR festival at Hafan Y Mor, Nr Pwllheli,
Kane’d were one such band with a female singer or so I thought…. On closer
inspection, make that three female singers, and in this instance all of them
sisters.

At first I thought I was watching Earth Wind & Fire or Haggard
or (insert band with 6+ members here_____). I was immediately taken with their
sound as there was apparently nothing sonically that could be covered. I’m not
usually in favour of reviewing albums that are already available as no-one
really wants to read them, but I wanted to push this a little, even if just a
handful of people go out of their way and seek them out. I’m that kind of guy.

Whilst they are not exactly AOR, Kane’d are more like
melodic metal to be honest. Seeing as I’m concerned about where the headliners
of the future are coming from, new and young bands need all the help they can
get.

Kane’d hail all the way from Swansea, but don’t hold that
against them. Whilst hot previously a hotbed of metal talent, Kane’d are about
to lead the way, and based on ‘RISE’ I think they could definitely put Welsh
metal back on the map especially after that singer that will never be talked
about here…..

They are fronted by three sisters, Chez, Stacey and Steph.
Back this up with Harry Scott Elliott (Guitar), Alex Rees (Bass), George
Elliott (Drums).

The opening bars of ‘Hero’ tease you toward something big,
what with sounds like a child’s glockenspiel occasionally ‘tinging’ in the background, and
they do not disappoint as they explode into a cacophony of riffs, and frenetic
drumming. To be honest, I can’t tell who is taking what lead here, only as Id
like to give praise, but the big payoffs come with the harmonies, and the
chorus just soars and knits the whole thing together. It’s a massive opener for
them.

I defy anyone to listen to ‘La Di Da’ and not want to
undertake a ‘Men In Black mind wipe’ after two days of hearing it.Sounds negative? Wrong! ‘La Di Da’ is one of
the most infectious songs I’ve ever heard. I found it completely embedded after
2 listens (it was pretty much settled in after one listen), but even a week
down the line, I still find it coming back to me at regular intervals. It’s
more of a heavy pop song, until Harry kicks in with a killer solo. It’s
fantastic stuff.

‘Covered In Roses’ is another Kane’d anthem that has yet
another killer chorus, and proves that whatever our Scandinavian counterparts
can do, Kane’d can match them for bombastic effect. It’s as if Lizzy Hale,
Kimberly Williams, and Kelly Clarkson got together for a secret tryst and Kane’d
was the outcome. ‘Guilty Of Nothing’ proves to be yet another rousing anthem in
the Kane’d songbook. ‘Love Her Madly’s’ dirty riff falls more in the genre of
someone like Opeth or Dream Theater, but then is reigned back to a more melodic
vibe, but with the girls taking control of the outcome. ‘Frozen’ is the kind of
track that could easily be a hit on the radio. If it were the US market then,
they would be slavering over a band like
this. The final song, and title track ‘Rise’ shows a little more of their
gentler and vulnerable side, but is still beautifully constructed.

‘Rise’ is both short and sweet, weighing in at an un-hefty
36minutes. You don’t need albums lasting 75 minutes when you can make a hard
hitting point in half the time and that’s what Kane’d have done here. Whilst its not the first Van Halen album, Kane’d
have an album that is a great listen, and shows exciting promise for the future.

Kane’d went down a storm at HRH AOR. Whilst I agree that
they are not AOR, they are still one hell of a band worth anyone’s admission
money. When you mix the Kane sisters vocal talent with the guitar playing of
Harry Scott Elliott, then it makes for a great band in the making. Support
British music other than the shite on BGT and The Voice, you know it makes
sense!

Sunday, 13 March 2016

If HRH were a person it would be young
(younger than me anyways), confident and slightly cocky. It knows what it
wants, and is not afraid to shout it out from the rooftops. It doesn’t want to
be the next Download, or perhaps it does! But based on its various homes the
last few years (Prestatyn, Magna and today’s current but established location
of Hafan Y Mor, Pwllheli) it doesn’t seem to want to be Download, or Wacken, or
Bloodstock. And that for me, and many others I suspect, that it’s fine just the
way it is.It’s most definitely for this
reason why it sells out VIP and Royalty tickets for the next bash before a band
has even been announced.

For me, I’m not in my twenties any more, or
thirties (bollox) and on my third crack at HRH AOR (missed No.2) it feels like
a comfortable pair of slippers, and definitely like a second home. You meet the
same great people, and some new ones get added as friends after every visit,
and certainly the AOR side is definitely a gathering of friends, and I include
the bands in this statement as most of them mingle about the crowds and are
fans of the genre as well as performers. I can’t see Axl mingling or doing
anything like this anytime soon. Over the course of a weekend of mingling,
drinking and chatting you may just get to see some fantastic bands also.

Unfortunately for me, I could only visit
Fri, and just a small part of Saturday due to another commitment, but I’m
fucking glad I made the day I did as most of it was excellent……..

Taking to the HRH stage first were Scottish
young guns Estrella. It could have been worse, because had they watched a different film they
could have been called Tuborg, or Staropramen. If EVER a band was born for a big
stage and perform for a large crowd, it’s Estrella. A couple of few years back
I saw them in Bolton in front of about 40 people. Times that by about 20 this
time and the lads rose to the occasion. To be fair to them,their professionalism
was there right from the beginning, but in kicking off the Friday they
absolutely came across as one of the best bands of the day.They arrived to a proper into tape, one of
the few bands to do so, and believe me, it does make a difference. They arrived
on stage one by one, with backs turned to the audience then explode into ‘Rock
This City Tonight’ . Front man Paul Gunn plays the crowd to perfection (all the
Estrella guys do), and this has come from years of practice and honing their
craft. On ‘Heaven’ if Tesla ever decide they want a replacement for Jeff Keith
then this song highlights it to perfection. PG is across between Hamie and
Keith and that is not a bad place to be. Estrella hit the crowd right between
the eyes (no its not a review littered with Joe Lynn Turner puns) especially
with the anthemic ‘Whatever It Is’. I pity the band that has to follow Estrella…..

I was correct.I always, ALWAYS look for the positives in
reviewing bands, especially ones I’ve not encountered previously or ones who
are relatively new. In Iconic Eye, I really struggle to lavish praise. The
songs I caught were ok to be fair to them, but my issue is with the vocalist
Tim Dawkes (this wasn’t just me as quite a few I spoke to tended to have the same
opinion). He looked the kind of guy that didn’t look as if he were in rock
band, and I cant get my head around looking at a front man who looks like he is
off on the pull. Especially with the sweater he was wearing. That aside the
vocals were flat and with a limited range. Couple this with little stage
presence, and the overall result is one that would match the colour of his
jumper……grey and uninspiring. The album has the very good Lee Small on vocals,
I wish they could have gotten him in for today as his voice would have been a
huge improvement. Even an Aersomith cover did little to garner any more
attention. After about 60% I had to move across the way to see a bit of …..

….Sorcerer. FUCK. ME. Once I walked through
to the Doom/ Sleaze stage it was like being in a psychedelic kaleidoscope of
sound compared to the Iconic Eye. Immediately the vocals of Anders Engberg were
aeons away from those of Dawkes. A band 27 years in the making that only had
their debut album out last year! On the basis of the 3 songs I heard, I implore
you to go buy it and give them a listen. ‘Northern Seas’ was introduced as a
song from their 2nd demo cassette.!!! Fuck they have been around for
years. If Blackmore decided he wants another relative unknown to front the
Rainbow machine then he could do no worse than the powerhouse Dio-like vocals
of Engberg. Bloody brilliant.

Back over to the AOR stage and still Iconic
Eye were playing a song called ‘I Cant feel It’ Judging by the room most others
couldn’t either.

Probably one of the least traveled bands
(well they are local to Wales, even if they are from the wrong half!) were
Kane’d. As this year’s trip was a last minute thing I had not done much
homework. One thing is for sure, I will definitely be digging out Kane’ds
album. The stage was all a bit full or so it seemed. I took a quick glance and
saw one of the girls, and thought ‘great voice’. Then looked again and thought
‘how novel, 2 vocalists’ then ‘fuck me, there’s three of them!’ ALL of the vocal
bases are covered with a band like Kane’s. Thankfully they harmonise, and
intertwine to near perfection. Like Estrella, Kane’d are suited to a big stage
and a bigger crowd. They bring some great elements of bands like Halestorm,
Paramore and a bit of Evanescence into the mix, with explosive results, with
‘Beautiful But Tragic’ being one such example. The delightfully entitled song
about people who piss you off, called Fuck You’ was the lighter side of their
set, but the last three in particular, ‘Guilty Of Nothing’, the very catchy ‘La
Di Da’ (Ok its not thinking man’s metal, but it does what it says on the tin),
before finishing with the anthem that is ‘Hero’. Kane’d are definitely a band
to keep a close eye on. They were undoubtedly pleasant on the eyes, but I could
have watched, and listened for double their allotted time. At the end I felt
that I had well and truly been Kane’d. Da iawn.

Blood Red Saints are the first band of the
day to epitomize the AOR genre, in bucket-loads. Speedway was one of my fave
AOR albums of last year. Its no messing AOR; BRS hit you full on in the face
(and ears) with ‘Kicking Up Dust’ a melodic gem of a number. BRS were going to
be one of the most anticipated bands of the day, and they thankfully delivered
to an appreciative audience. ‘Mercy’, or as Pete Godfrey calls it, Mer-ceh!’
shows BRS off to perfection, all members wading in with harmonies that make an
old AOR fan like me weep into my water (I was driving!). Haven used to be a
Butlin’s many years ago, and it’s here where imagine that Godfrey honed his
craft as a Redcoat. One of the wittiest guys on stage anywhere, he was told to
cut out the jokes. Which

is the same as telling Finbarr Saunders not to find
anything dirty in any situation. For example ‘How the Hard Rock Hell are you?’,
and ‘I’ll be back next year with a different band’ to name just two. That
aside, BRS have a quality set of songs to pull from, and we were given two new
songs, ‘Dirty Little Secret’ and one penned by Newdeck called ‘Tragedy’ and is
a bit heavier than the usual stuff, but still bloody good. The AOR crowd were
treated to a 1986 ‘one song medley’ of Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive’, and
also threw in Signal’s ‘Does It Feel Like Love’. Blood Red Saints sound the
part, look the part (Rob Naylor looks like he’s come from a fashion shoot for
GQ), and have given the genre a much-needed shot in the arm. Fantastic set.

Russ Ballard apparently got caught in
traffic which set the running slots back about 40 mins. When he arrived he
certainly made up for being late. For
starters the bloke is 71 this year (Seventy-fucking-one!), but looks as if he’s
in his fifties, and still sings very well indeed. The bloke has penned songs
that have been around in my lifetime that are truly iconic. Whilst most of the
crowd today know who he is, I doubt the majority of people generally haven’t a
Scooby Doo as to who he is.Just look at
his setlist- kicking off with the
excellent ‘Rene Didn’t Do It’, one of the few that hasn’t been covered by
another artist. One fave of mine that I never realized was his was ‘Dream On’
made known to me in the mid 80s by King Kobra. We had all his own versions of songs
that were made famous by others - ‘So You Win Again’ (Hot Chocolate), ‘Liar’
(Three Dog Night), ‘I Know Theres Something Going On’ (Frida – Abba), ‘New York
Groove’ (Frehley / The

Sweet). The latter part of his set were what most people
had gathered for, almost like paying homage, if you like – Argents ‘Hold Your
Head High’ with Ballard singing as high and as well as he ever has; his
original version of ‘God Gave Rock And Roll To You’, and he even admitted that
Kiss did it better, and finally coming back for an encore of ‘Since You Been
Gone’. The whole band must have had a combined age of about 543, but with age
comes great experience, and there’s definitely a lot of life in the old Barnet
Dog yet!

We’re now hitting the sharp end of the
evening with the final two acts to go. I saw Tyketto back in 2007 at their
alleged farewell gig. Thankfully they saw the love that fans held for them and
have continued to this day (thank God). I have to say that Tyketto are one of
those bands (only 2 originals currently) that sound just as good today as they
did back in 1990. We were in for a treat – the whole of the debut ‘Don’t Come
Easy’ album played in its entirety, but backwards. Thankfully, not the notes,
just the songs! Danny Vaughn looks years younger than he is, and sounds like
the Danny Vaughn from half his lifetime ago. Vaughn and Clayton are joined by
Chris Childs (Bass, he of Thunder also), Ged Rylands (keys – ex-Ten / Rage Of
Angels), and Chris Green – ex-Furyon/ ex-Pride). Green looks the part of a
bonafide rock star from the top of his highlighted hair to the soles of his
boots.No one was really aware of
Tyketto in 1987 in the UK. But one thing that happened over here in October 87
was the hurricane that flattened parts of the UK. The 2016 hurricane equivalent
to Hafan Y More, is Tyketto, as they swept through the building and took the
roof off the place.

Again Tyketto had a great intro….”Welcome
to the band that’s been kicking your arse for 25 years…..TYKETTO!!!!”
Immediately on ‘Sail Away’ Vaughn proves why he is one of the best singers in
the business, his vocals just soar and are full of power. ‘Stand Up’ is simply
awesome, the harmonies superb. They threw a curve ball into the mix by playing
a B Side from the ‘Forever Young’ single ‘Walk Away’ and judging by the hands
raised in the room, about 10 of us own it! (Which is a travesty!). I hold a
special place in my heart for ‘Forever Young,’ I knew where I was the first
time I heard it, it was that special, so to hear it again was a fantastic
moment. Few gigs are as good as these, play them as if they are your first (or
last) and to your strengths, and Tyketto played a gig that could not be
faulted, with no fillers, ALL killers. Now, does anyone know the number of a good
local roofing contractor….

Joe Lynn Turner is listed as the main
event, but Ballard, Tyketto and JLT all have the same allotted time to play. I
admit that, as a HUUUGE Rainbow fan, I was here to see JLY strut his stuff with
a ‘proper’ set. Forget the acoustic bollox from last year, this was what all of
us wanted to hear. Joe did comment that this was his first solo gig in the UK.
Alzheimers aside, he did not count last years tour as a solo gig. Anyway, JLT
is still living and dressing like is 1986, just drop the leather gloves mate!
It was a clever move by Mr Turner, going on at 11.15, as most of the audience would
be well hammered, so he gave a Rainbow greatest hits set, with a couple of non JLT-Rainbow classics thrown in for good
measure. More of that in a minute. Opening with ‘Death Alley Driver’, I was
immediately smitten, as on this, and all the songs the backing vocals from JLTs
keyboardist were sublime to say the least. That bloke can sing!

Renditions of ‘Power’, ‘Can’t Let You Go’,
the great ‘Jealous Lover’ (how this didn’t make a studio album is beyond me), ‘Street
Of Dreams,’ etc was just wonderful. Why
cant guitarists try to play similar Blackmore solos? I know he is a God, but
these songs were not similar in the soloing department.? Griping aside a huge
positive is JLT; a bloke the wrong side of sixty, he still has a fantastic
voice.

The hardly ever played ‘Miss Mistreated’
was up next, and whilst its not one of my fave rainbow songs, it’s a pleasure
to hear it again after such a long time. More gems followed, ‘I Surrender’, Purple’s
‘King Of Dreams’, ‘Stone Cold’, and finally ‘Can’t Happen Here’ and one of the
one’s I was desperate to hear again….. ‘Spotlight Kid’. Joe then paid homage to
Ronnie with decent renditions of ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’ and ‘LLRNR’. Then
it was all over way too quickly.

If I had an issue, it’s one of song
selection. Joe is one of the most prolific singers of the last 35 years –
Fandango, Rainbow, Solo albums a plenty, Malmsteen, Deep Purple, Sunstorm,
Brazen Abbot, Mothers Army, etc. etc. The bloke must have sung on hundreds of
songs. It was a JLT solo set, so at least dig out more songs from the JLT
songbook- especially ‘Rescue You’, and maybe
one from Malmsteens best album, ‘Odyssey’. I love the fact that he paid homage
to Ronnie, but the list could have been so much better. That said, I sang my
arse off with Joe for every single song. So, thank you for making up for the
acoustic disappointment of last year for me. Blackmore’s missed a trick in not
using JLT for his Rainbow reunion. It was a great ending to a pretty good day.

HRH AOR partial review Saturday 12th
March

A double booking meant that I couldn’t hang
around for most of Day 2, apologies to the organisers! One band that was one to
see was The Radio Sun. These guys travelled from fucking Australia to entertain
us. 38 hours worth of travelling, and I have to say there were polite, funny
and worth seeing (twice).

First we managed to get into the acoustic
set of 4 songs at 1pm in the Owners Lounge. We were treated to a Q&A
session and some giggles as Jason Old and the guys could talk for his/their
country. The set consisted of four songs – ‘Wrong Things Right’, ‘One In A
Million’, ‘Maybe’ and ‘Lets Talk About Love’. There’s nowhere to hide with an
acoustic set, and TRS certainly nail the songs on offer. It’s a great testament
when songs are stripped to their skin and become a different animal. When you
can strip back a song and it still sounds great then you know it’s a good one.
That’s exactly what they have here, a superb set of songs!

But it’s the full electric set where the
magic really happens. The songs from ‘Wrong Things

Right’ and ‘Heaven or Heartbreak’
become something very different from the CD. The guys have come a long way to
entertain and they certainly do what they set out to do. It’s also clear to see

that they are truly appreciating the support the fans gave from the other side
of the World to them. TRS manage to cram in ten songs in their short set as
openers for the Saturday. At the off, it looks a bit of a small audience, but
by halfway the crowd had doubled. Singer Jason Old is a cross between Oz Fox
and Claudio Sanchez mainly due to the damp weather!! Only visually I add, as
Jason’s voice is definitely his own. TRS are not as visual as yesterday’s
openers Estrella, but what they lack in movement, they make up in top quality
songs. They border on heavy pop/rock, but they are as infectious as the ebola
virus (in a good way of course). The highlights of the set were ‘Science Fiction
Make Believe’, ‘One In A Million’, World Crazy Now’ and the title of their
recent album ‘Caught Between Heaven and a Heartbreak ‘ which for me is one of
the best songs of any of the bands on offer on today or any other day, a song that is built on 80’s foundations, with a
rasping riff and soloing from Stevie Janevski, and some sumptuous harmonies,
and had it been 1986 it (and The Radio Sun) would be a household name. HRH have
to invite TRS back and put them higher up the bill in the near future.

In between the two The Radio Sun sets we
whisked over to the Sleaze stage to catch Teenage Casket Company. How these
guys aren’t playing higher up the bill is beyond me. They have everything going
in their favour, a band that truly look the part, and have classy songs with a
cutting edge. In fairness their songs are not too far away from The Radio Sun.
Where TRS deliver with polish, TCC deliver them with an attitude and swagger
with a bit of punk thrown in for good measure. It’s a good sign when at 2pm the
auditorium is pretty much chock-a-block. Some of their stuff is a UK version of
Coheed & Cambria who are well-known for throwing in plenty of ‘Hey! Heys!’.
Add this to the riffs, and the way in which Rob Wylde delivers and its one of
the performances of the weekend. Again when the band has quality, the songs
just come at you thick and fast. ‘Hate Me’ was one of their finest songs, and
the new single ‘Thinking About You’ wasn’t too shabby either. They threw in a
cover of the Beastie Boys ‘Fight For Your Right To Party’, before the closing
song ‘Best Friend’. “Best Friend is my radio” wails Rob, which is appropriate
given the audience age. I somewhat think ‘BF is my mp3, torrent, rapidshare’
etc does not have quite the same ring. Quality band.

HRH are proving to be a consistent and
quality brand where AOR-sters and hammerfest-ers can get their musical fixes.
You can’t make every fan happy, and that was the case heard over the weekend as
certainly a couple of the AOR bands were not as per the genre expected. Perhaps
‘Melodic Rock’ is a term best used in future events

HRH have an opportunity to corner the
market should they want to stamp their authority on the AOR/Melodic Rock genre.
Firefest took a year off, and looked like they were going to fit something in
later this year but events transpired against them. Rockingham stepped into the
void in 2015, and so far looks as if they too may not be holding an event in
2016. One thing is for sure, they (HRH) have much better facilities for food,
drink and accommodation. Not so much location, as it’s a trek even for locals,
but at least its more scenic in N Wales. HRH, when you’ve had chance to take
five, listen to the fans on the forums and whilst you cant book all and sundry,
there will be some great names thrown at you. Looking forward to the next one
already.